The Lands crossed by the Camino Frances

The Lands Crossed by the Camino Frances

NAVARRE (Roncesvalles – Viana)

Bounded by France’s Aquitaine region to the northeast, the Spanish Basque Country to the northwest, La Rioja to the southwest and Aragón to the southeast, Navarre has a fascinating and complex history, resulting in much of the region being claimed by modern-day Basques as their own. It’s capital is Pamplona or Irún in Basque language.

For a detailed description, see the Wikipedia article

LA RIOJA (Logroño – Santo Domingo de la Calzada)

Bordered by the Basque Country to the north, Navarre to the northeast, Aragón to the southeast and Castilla y León to the west and south, La Rioja is Spain’s smallest autonomous region, comprising a single province of the same name. Internationally known for its excellent wine, the capital is Logroño.

For a detailed description, see the Wikipedia article

CASTILLA Y LEÓN (Belorado – Villafranca del Bierzo)

Spain’s largest autonomous region, Castilla y León comprises the famous meseta or “high plains” of Spain, the spiritual and physical heart of the land, the scene of many of the most important events in the peninsula’s turbulent history. This vast and varied region gets its name from the numerous castles that dominate strategic bluffs throughout its endless horizons. It is bounded by Portugal to the West, La Rioja and Aragón to the East, Asturias and Galicia to the North, and Extremadura and Castilla La Mancha (New Castile) to the South.

For a detailed description, see the Wikipedia article

GALICIA (O’Cebreiro –  Santiago de Compostela)

Celtic cousin and western neighbour to the province of Asturias, this is Spain’s most north-westerly region, where the inhabitants are fiercely independent and the language spoken is more akin to Portuguese than Spanish. The misty green hills of Galicia are riddled with ancient paths, little hamlets and age-old superstitions, and its long Atlantic coastline is famed for rocky headlands and complex estuaries.

For a detailed description, see the Wikipedia article